Harris h



(No Model.)

H. EHAYDBN.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented MaLB, 1883.

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NITEp STATESI ATENT OFFICE. y

HARRIS H. HAYDEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC PARCEL DELIVERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

rSPECIFICATIOINT forming part olf Letters Patent No. 277,276, dated May 8, 1883, Application inea March 21, ieee. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRIS H. HAYDEN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of storeservice systems in which traveling hollow carriers move upon ways extending between the ro main desks and the counters or stations occupied by salesmen 5 and my invention consists in means for readily placing the carriers upon and removing them from the track, and in a construction whereby the etliciency ,of the car r 5 riers is increased'.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating the construction of the track and means for placing the carriers on the same.`

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view ot'Fig. l. Fig.

2o 3 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 1 2,

Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing` appliances forremoving the carrier. Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of Fig. 4. Fig. 7is a longitudinal section z 5 of one of the carriers, and Fig. 8y is an end view of the carrier open.

The way A in this instanceis constructed to support a rolling hollow carrier, and consists of parallel strips a n, which may be plain 3o strips, square or oblong in cross-section, or of the more ornamental form shown in Fig. 3, in which each strip is of an L shape, so as to form a side flange, a', and a bearing-face, x. These side flanges maintain a cylindrical carrier at right angles to the track and prevent it running diagonally or jamming. 'lhesestrips are connected together parallel to each other, but sufticientl y separated to receive the carriers between them by means of cross-braces b, of any 4o suitable form and material, preferably of castiron. By this' means the way may be constructed of any desired width by simply varying the length of the cross-pieces, andis muchV lighter, more elastic, and produces with the carrier less noise than the solid structure heretofore used. In some cases the way may be formed ot three or more lightparallel strips secured to the sides and bottoms of |...l-shaped cross-braces, and the edges orfaces upon which 5o the carriers roll may have felt or rubber bearlngs.

For the purpose of placin g the carriers upon the way constructed as described, or in any other manner, I use pivoted Sendoft' sections C, each set at any desired angle to the way A, one side or flange ot1 which is cut away opposite said section, and the pivot-pointy is so arranged that the inner end of the section will practically correspond with the way whatever may be the angle of the former. The outer 6o end ot' the section is closed by the springp, which is bent so as to hold the carrier with a tight pressure in position and prevent it lfrom jumping when the arm is allowed to go up suddenly, and is counterbalanced by suitable appliances-for instance, by a weight, It, connectcd to a cord, 7c, extending over a pulley,

l--and may be drawn down by acord, g, until within easy reach of the attendant, as shown in dotted lines,Fig. 1, or it may be raised bya 7o spring or otherwise. After the carrier D is placed within the section, as shown in dotted lines, and the cord g isQreleased, the weight h will carry the section upward to the position shown'in full lines, so as to discharge the car- 75 rier into the trough with au impetus sufficient,

in caseswhere the way is short, to insure its reaching its destination even without sloping the way, or to give it a good starting impetus in a longer line where the grade will suice to 8o carry it to the end rapidly.

To prevent the carriers from jumping from the Ways, I have for some time used guard rails or wires c, supported by standards d.

Different appliances may be used for remov- 8 5 ing the carriers at their stations. I prefer, however, to use a detlector, W, (shown in Figs.

4, 5, and 6,) which said deector is placed at an angle to and extending over the track, so as to be struck by the carrier, which is thus tilted 9o to one side, and falls into a basket. V, or other suitable receptacle. To facilitate the removal, the guard or liange opposite to the detlector at a: may be cut away to a greater or less extent. The deflectors may be setin different positions 9 5 in respect to graduated balls, so as to discharge each ball at the counter from which it was sent.

The basket or receptacle V may be suspendy ed by a cord, t, provided with a counterbalroo ance-weight, u, and a pendent cord, w, serves as a means for hauling down the basket when necessary. VCarriers of various forms may be used upon the ways described; but for the purpose of sending goods as well as cash I prefer to use cylindrical carriers D, which are guided by the flanges a', the carriers being either divided longitudinally and the two parts hinged together, or provided with movable or hinged ends on, as shown in Figs. 7 and S.

It is important in using rolling carriers to provide means for holding the goods centrally in the carriers, as any considerable weight falling to one side will prevent them from roll` ing. Different means of effecting this may be employed-as, for instance, springs secured to the opposite sides, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 7.) A very simple and e'ective plan, however, is to use cross-bands n n, of rubber or elastic fabric, arranged longitudinally, asin Fig. 7, or transversely, as in Fig. S. In either case articles placed between the bands will be held centrally in the carrier.

The cash maybe putin acash box or pocket, s, at the head or lid of the carrier, and held by a rubber cross-band, or otherwise.

I do not here claim the way consisting of two parallel strips and cross-pieces.L

I claiml. The combination of the way, send-off sections U,pivotedthereto attheirinner ends, and the counter-balance, for the purpose specilied.

2. The combination, with the way, of sendoff sections C, pivoted thereto at their inner ends, but arranged in an angle therewith, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the way, ot' deflectors W, substantially as set forth.

4. A carrier for storeservice, cylindrical in form, in combination with ways having side flanges, a', whereby the carrier is maintained at right angles to the way, as set forth.

5. A hollow cylindricalcarrier for store-service, adapted to roll upon ways thereof', and provided with means, substantially as de scribed, for maintaining the contents in a central position, in combination with ways constructed to receive and guide such carrier, for the purpose specitied.

6. The combination, with a way of a storeservice apparatus and with a throw-Gif device, of a hanging basket, V, counterbalanced by a weight or spring and provided with a cord, t, and arranged substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRIS H. HAYDEN.

Witnesses L. H. WrLLIAMs, M. L. BARTLETT. 

